What is Barry Zito's Net Worth and Salary?
Barry Zito is an American former professional baseball player who has a net worth of $60 million. Barry Zito was one of professional baseball's mysteries. He didn't make headlines with scandals. He didn't up at major events with the latest starlet of the month on his arm. He's a former follower of Zen, now gone born-again Christian, who occasionally dyes his hair blue, and practices yoga.
He made a name for himself nationally playing baseball in college. While in school, he was a Freshman All-American selection, a First-Team All American selection, and the PAC-10 Pitcher of the Year. After turning down offers from two teams in 1998, he chose to sign with the Oakland Athletics in 1999. He pitched very successfully in the Minor Leagues, and was promoted to MLB play just a year later.
His rookie year with Oakland was another year of successes, and by 2002, he was easily one of the best pitchers in baseball – period. However, by 2004, he'd begun to struggle. There were rumors of his being traded at the end of 2006, but he ultimately left of his own accord and signed with the San Francisco Giants.
His $126 million contract with the Giants was, at the time, the most lucrative in MLB history for a pitcher. He struggled initially, and while there were flashes of the old Barry Zito, he was by no means consistent. He seemed to revert to form in 2009, but then began to be plagued by injuries. Barry retired in 2015.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Early Life
Barry William Zito was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 13, 1978 to Joe and Roberta Zito. Roberta, whose maiden name is Rosser, had a sister named Carlyn Rosser. In addition to being a professional ballerina, in 1974 Carlyn married actor Patrick Duffy. They remained together until her death in 2017. So, Patrick Duffy is Barry Zito's uncle.
He attended Grossmont High School in San Diego and then transferred to the University of San Diego High School where he earned all league honors in baseball. He then attended UC Santa Barbara and earned Freshman All America Honors. After that, he transferred again to Los Angeles Pierce College where he was named to the all-state and all-conference teams. He next went to USC, and that's where USA Today Baseball Weekly, Collegiate Baseball, and Baseball America named him first team All-America selection and the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year.
Baseball Career
Barry Zito was drafted in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft. Zito made his major league debut the next year in a game against the Anaheim Angels in 2000. Zito was awarded the AL Cy Young Award in 2002, and was the three time All-Star Selection for 2002, 2003 and 2006.
In 2007, Zito signed with the San Francisco Giants.
While playing for the Giants, Zito had to play against his old team, the Oakland Athletics, and only lasted for four innings. After walking seven, giving up seven runs and two bases loaded walks, the Giants lost to the A's, 15-3. In a 2008 game against the Florida Marlins, he got his first win of the season. He pitched a no-hitter in 2009, through six innings against the Texas Rangers, which brought him to his seventh win. In 2010, he earned a win against the Houston Astros, and on June 10th of 2010 won the game against his old team the Oakland A's, defeating all the MLB teams, as well as his own team the San Francisco Giants. Even though Zito wasn't on the postseason roster for the Giants, he won his first World Series ring.
Denis Poroy/Getty Images
In 2011 Zito suffered an injury to his right foot and was only able to stand in when other pitchers needed a break, and after his second foot injury, Zito was indefinitely sidelined. He came back in 2012 with a brand new, crouched delivery. After struggling throughout spring training, he kicked off the season with one of the best games of his career against the Colorado Rockies throwing a complete-game shutout and giving up just four hits in a 7-0 win. Barry Zito became the 246th pitcher to record his 150th win. After playing a career-low 13 games (9 starts) and struggling the rest of the 2011 season, Zito responded with a good showing in the 2012 season in which the San Francisco Giants went to the World Series. Barry Zito made his first World Series start and helped the Giants sweep the Detroit Tigers while going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA. Zito struggled again in the 2013 season, and San Francisco declined to pick up his 2014 option.
Zito would take a year off from baseball returning to the Oakland Athletics for a second stint with the team in 2015. He competed for a role on the 25-man roster but ultimately accepted an assignment to the minors. He was brought up to the major league roster later that year making a start against Hudson and the Giants in a matchup billed as a tribute to the A's "Big Three" of the early 2000s. Both pitchers received a standing ovation from the sold-out Coliseum crowd. Zito announced his retirement from baseball on October 19, 2015.
Salary & Contracts
After playing out his four-year, $9.3 million contract with the Oakland Athletics, Zito signed a seven-year contract with the San Francisco Giants in 2007. The contract was worth $126 million, with an $18 million option for the year 2014 and a $7 million buyout. The Giants did not pick up the option, and Barry Zito returned to the Oakland Athletics in 2015 on a one-year, $1 million deal.
During his career, Barry Zito earned a total of $137 million in baseball salary.
Personal Life
Barry Zito was given the nicknames Planet Zito and Captain Quirk because of his unusual sense of humor and the fact that he meditated and practiced yoga before each game.
Barry is also the creator of a charity for the hospitals treating wounded soldiers during military operations called Strikeouts for Troops. Whenever he threw a strikeout, he donated $400 to the charity.
His father, Joe Zito, was a composer and has composed, as well as arranged for, recording star Nat King Cole. His mother, Roberta, was a singer with Nat King Cole, as well as a musician in his band, the Merry Young Souls.
Barry Zito had an acting role in one episode of the CBS television series, Jag, as a U.S. petty Naval Officer.
Real Estate
In March of 2007 Barry paid $8,863,000 for the following 7,000+ square foot mansion in Kentfield, California:
Located in Marin County about 30 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Barry listed the home for sale in May 2012 for $11.495 million. The main building of Barry Zito's house features high ceilings, massive windows, hardwood floors, and multiple fireplaces. The master suite has direct access to the backyard and spa, as well as a large walk-in closet, and a bathroom that rivals the size of most studio apartments. There is also a formal dining room, a large office, an eat-in kitchen, a bar, a family room, and two more bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms. The house also features a wine cellar, an outdoor barbecue area, a pool, and a wrap-around sun deck.
He did not receive any buyers at the price and in 2014 briefly listed the property as a rental asking $28,000 per month. Finally in August 2015 he sold the home for $8.125 million.
Down in Los Angeles, Barry previously owned homes in the Hollywood Hills and Pasadena. He bought the home in the Hollywood Hills in 2010 for $2.1 million and sold it in 2014 for $3.25 million. He sold his cottage in Pasadena in 2015 for $1.495 million.
